Singapore and Hong Kong, September 2, 2014 – Wearable technologies will boost Smart Mobile Government (Smart mGovt) projects and consequently, pave the way for public sector Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems, says IDC Government Insights.

An IDC Government Insights report, “Designing Tomorrow’s Smart mGovernment Landscapes Enabled by the Growth of Wearables and the Internet of Things”, has identified the IoT, Context, Instantaneous Reach, Privacy, Security, Technology Readiness and Wearables as the seven key ingredients for Smart mGovt adoption.

Today’s disruptive environments highlight the dawn of an increasingly “smart and mobile” global workforce. In addition, Smart mGovt initiatives are driven by mission-critical and real-time solutions in functional domains such as public order and safety, transportation, healthcare, and social services.

Key findings of the report include:

Growing Smart mGovt road maps and initiatives

Smart mGovt projects will be boosted by wearable technologies and consequently, pave the way for the growth of public sector-led IoT ecosystems when used pervasively.

Shadow IT continues to outgrow pace of Smart mGovt deployments

Mobile devices continue to grow exponentially in the consumer space. As a result, several government IT departments are facing burgeoning pressures of shadow IT operational threats through Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) demands.

While these governments continue to grabble with the usability, operational, and security concerns of shadow IT, it will fall upon leading public sector agencies, industry leaders, and private sector players to showcase the benefits of Smart mGovt solutions.

Still-skeptical government IT departments need to be continually encouraged and assured the viability of Smart mGovt solutions.

Choose Your Own Device (CYOD) may be the way forward to quell skepticism with BYOD

CYOD can function as a potential means of partially addressing users’ choice needs.

At the same time, CYOD can help government IT departments rein in the proliferation of foreign mobile devices within the enterprise and thus, gain back some form of operational and security control, thereby eliminating shadow IT threats.

While pervasive shadow IT through consumer and employee mobility needs continue to outgrow implementations and acceptance of Smart mGovt initiatives, CYOD deployment models may be the way forward to help public sector IT departments address skepticism with regard to BYOD-led security and operational challenges.

More insights are revealed in the report, “Designing Tomorrow’s Smart mGovernment Landscapes Enabled by the Growth of Wearables and the Internet of Things,” IDC #AP245699.

“In the mid- to long term, mobility solutions, wearables, and the Internet of Things markets will see significant public sector uptake and growth once the adoption tipping point is breached. Meanwhile, solution providers and public sector end users who consider themselves early adopters of emerging technologies can consider a more granular and targeted approach toward Smart mGovt initiatives,” says Gerald Wang, research manager of IDC Government Insights.

He explains that it included taking considerable strides in identifying key government operational gaps, and co-creating appropriate mobility solutions tailored to address the unique functional or jurisdictional government objectives, which at best, can be replicated to a greater scale of operations, if successful.

For more information on obtaining this report “Designing Tomorrow’s Smart mGovernment Landscapes Enabled by the Growth of Wearables and the Internet of Things” (IDC #AP245699),please contact Madhura Moulik at +91 80 6699 1090 or mmoulik@idc.com. To set up an interview with Gerald Wang, contact Emily Chia at echia@idc.com.

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About IDC Government Insights

IDC Government Insights assists government policy, program, and IT leaders, as well as the suppliers who serve them, in making more effective technology decisions by providing accurate, timely, and insightful fact-based research and consulting services. Staffed by senior analysts with decades of government and IT industry experience, our global research analyzes and advises on business and technology issues facing the Federal/Central and local/provincial Governments. International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology market. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world’s leading technology, media, research, and events company. For more information, please visit www.idc-gi.com, email info@idc-gi.com, or call 571.296.8060. Visit the IDC Government Insights Community at http://idc-insights-community.com/government.

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy. More than 1,000 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. For more than 50 years, IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world’s leading technology media, research, and events company. You can learn more about IDC by visiting www.idc.com.